The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-13
WORDS OF CHEER.
BEING KINDLY GENERALIZATION ON
THE CHRISTIAN NEIGHBoR's"
NINETEENTH ANNIVERSARY.
A Good Religious Newspaper.
By Rev. John IIemmenway, Sain
Anthony Park, Minnesota.

Anthony Park, Minnesota.
Good paper and good type and {
good printer will not make a good re
ligious paper; there must be an Edi
tor. An Editor of religious papel
occupies one of the most imp0rtan
posts in the whole world; and bu
very few men have ever filled tina
high place worthily for the glory o
God and the best interests of mankind
for time and eternity. A man may bt
useful minister of the gospel, a very
good deacon, elder, class leader or pres
ident of college and yet be a pool
Editor of a religious paper.
TO be good Editora man must be
abundantly blessed with common
sense. He must be of philanthropit
nature and mind broad enough to EN-
brace in his affections the entire hui
man race. He must be careful read
er and calm diligent thinker. He
must not be passionate, nor ever "ren
der railing for railing" or speak "un
advisedly" with his pen; but evel
keep in his view the solemn fact thai
his printed words will live for good ol
evil long after he will have left his ed
itorial chair forever.
But an Editor of religious paper
must be a Christian of course, and
Christian too, of the very highest or.
der; and such a one is full of love and
"clothed with humility" He is nc
bigot, and yet contends earnestly fol
Christianity with weapons that are
not carnal; and rejoices first in the
progress of true Christianity, and last
in the prosperity of his own religious
denomination. A good Editor will be
a man of prayer; and he will pray as
he writes and selects for his paper; and
will pray much more in secret than he
does in the public sanctuary, the social
prayer meeting and in his family, all
combined.
A good Editor will not only be very
careful what he writes for his paper
but also what he selects, and will nev-
er forget that his readers are both NOR.
tai and immortal.
It is with much sorrow that I am
obliged to say that I know of but very
few papers in our broad land that
can conscientiously call truly and fully
good religious papers. [ cannot now
think of half a dozen. During oul
dreadful civil war I could find but one
paper worthy of being called religious
not even the "American Messenger
printed by the American Tract Socie'
ty at No. $50 Nassau Street, New York
city. That solitary paper that refer
to was and is the "Friend's Review
printed by the Friends at 1916 Filbert
Street, Philadelphia. A paper that
approves of war is not a good paper by
a great deal.
The Christian Neigh6or, I am happy
to say, is one of the very best religion:
papers ever published, and on the
whole I know of no better one. ]
hope it will be published, by the de-
scendants of the present Editor to the
latest week of time, even if that week
shall be ten thousand years distant.
I love the Christian Neighbor and
the Editor and his dear family and all
paying subscribers. My wife, now q
saint in heaven, loved the Neighbor,
and at her very kind and respectful re.
quest became paying subscriber till
the generous Editor sent it to me
"without money and without price
Though without money and with
out price," yet not without superabun.
dant compensation in the many good
religious communications. EDITOR.